What a strange collection we are! How amazing it is that God could know and love us all. As a comedian once cracked, “Some of my best friends are people.”

As I watched them stroll by, I was intrigued by the questions to myself: “How many are sealed by the Holy Spirit?… How many really trust in Jesus for their salvation?… How many are going to heaven?… How many are going to hell?… How many are ready to meet God?”

I was reminded of the Barna Research Group findings on the sad spiritual state and biblical illiteracy of most Americans, not just the un-churched but also the churched.

Of all people, few really understand that Jesus was the Word (God) made flesh, the image of the invisible God.

Of that last group, few of those really understand the wonder of the blood atonement, and the New Covenant in His blood.

Of that last smaller group, few of those understand that Jesus will return to earth just like He promised.

Of that last smaller group, few of those realize that all the biblical signs are rapidly converging and that His return is so near.

Of all the people, how many are ready to meet Him if He were to show up today?

As I sat there observing, I was reminded of that popular Christian song, “I wish we’d all been ready,” by Larry Norman. Maybe I thought of it because I had recently read that Larry Norman went to be with the Lord on February 28, at only age 60. His Web site is at http://www.larrynorman.com/ . Larry was very popular in the 1970s, so some of you older folksmay remember him.

That is a haunting song, and the words always deeply stuck with me. Here are the lyrics:

Life was filled with guns and war
And everyone got trampled on the floor.
I wish we’d all been ready.
Children died, the days grew cold,
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold.
I wish we’d all been ready.
There’s no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind.

A man and wife asleep in bed,
She hears a noise, she turns her head, he’s gone!
I wish we’d all been ready.
Two men walking up a hill,
One disappears and one’s left standing still.
I wish we’d all been ready.
There’s no time to change your mind,
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind.

There’s no time to change your mind.
How could you have been so blind?
The Father spoke, the demons dined,
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind.
You’ve been left behind
You’ve been left behind!

Maybe the words to that song had a more lasting impression on me than I ever realized. I don’t want anyone to be left behind, and by God’s grace I am doing what I can to prevent it.

On the Web site where I found those above words, there was this Scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:51-53
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.